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My second-to-last Burn Notice novel, The Reformed, comes out today, to be followed this summer by my last Burn Notice novel, The Bad Beat, so in honor of that, and because my ego demands that I tell you all every small, insignificant detail about my life, here's a bit of background information about the writing of the book. (If you'd like signed copies of the book -- or any of my books, for that matter -- I suggest you contact the fine people at The Mystery Bookstore in Los Angeles: http://www.mystery-bookstore.com/ They'll have signed copies after this weekend. And if you live in Los Angeles, I'll be doing a booksigning this Saturday at Mysteries to Die For in Thousand Oaks at 2pm, along with my brother Lee, who'll be signing his latest Monk book.)
1. The client's name is Eduardo Santiago. He's a Cuban gangster who has been....wait for it...reformed. I don't know a lot of Cubans. But one I do know is the excellent writer Eduardo Santiago, author of Tomorrow They Will Kiss and a former student of mine. So when I started the book, I used his name as sort of a place holder for another non-Eduardo Santiago name. But then, after 300-some pages of him being Eduardo Santiago, well, he became Eduardo Santiago for good. Sorry Eduardo.
2. There's a hard-as-nails-and-other-cliches-friend of Sam's named Chris Alessio. Chris and I went to elementary and middle school together and then I didn't seem him for 25 years. When I finally did see him, I found out he was damn near a professional paintball player and wrote extensively on paintball stuff for a variety of different magazines. So when I needed information about paintball markers and needed a hard-as-nails-etc bad ass, he became Chris Alessio.
3. Julia Pistell, whose name appears in this book as a person who has had their identity stolen, went to graduate school with me and is one of the best humans alive. She happened to be visiting Wendy and me last January, when I was in the middle of the book, but didn't have a title yet. However, the fine people at Penguin needed a title and needed it right now, except that right now happened to be while Julia, Wendy and I were eating lunch at a deli in Palm Desert. So I said to Wendy and Julia, hey, anyone got a title? And Julia came up with The Reformed. (This was after The Godfather was rejected.)
4. I finished writing this book last March. I started it in December 2009. So, at that point, I'd read the scripts through the middle of season 3. I tell you this so when I get the inevitable email from someone asking me why X happened when Y happened in Season 4, I can remind them that Season 4 didn't exist when I wrote this book, even though it does now (which is why Jesse isn't in the book). Generally, as with all the books I've written in the Burn Notice series, I try to keep them evergreen so they don't work in lockstep with the seasons and can be read any time.
5. There are swear words in this book. Just to clarify my position on you being offended by swear words: Oh, go fuck yourself. This isn't a kids book. Nut the fuck up. You don't like it? Don't buy the fucking book. Really. Have a great day!
This is my life's greatest work. And once again, I have to wonder: why is there a deli in the middle of the desert?
Posted by: Julia P, best human alive | January 04, 2011 at 05:29 PM
How many swear words are there? I try not to buy any books with <5 swear words per page. Thanks.
Posted by: Chloe | January 04, 2011 at 05:36 PM
Oh, probably 10 in the whole book, Chloe.
Posted by: tod goldberg | January 04, 2011 at 05:37 PM
Dammit!
Posted by: Chloe | January 04, 2011 at 05:47 PM
I didn't even realize that this was coming out now! Can't wait to get it, although it won't be as great as the last one unless the most awesome character Brenna Fender makes another appearance :)
Posted by: Brenna | January 04, 2011 at 08:20 PM
Really? Next to the last? This mean there won't be anymore or you won't be the one writing them?
Posted by: Vic | January 04, 2011 at 09:03 PM
There won't be anymore. I was offered the opportunity to continue doing the series, but I'm ready to do some other projects I've got lined up. It's been fun, but after five of them, I'm ready to move on.
Posted by: tod goldberg | January 04, 2011 at 09:11 PM
Well I've read more than half the book and haven't read one yet. So Tod, I'd say you restrained yourself!! Am enjoying the book immensely! Thanks for such fun! When a book makes me laugh out loud, it's a success!
I'm sorry to hear you are not writing beyond the 5th book. I hope you change your mind at some point. Never say never!!
Posted by: Colleen Mengel | January 05, 2011 at 01:26 PM
Hoping your book is on sale at airport bookstores everywhere. Or at least Denver or Washington, D.C. And why the f aren't you doing a booksigning on the B Concourse at the airport in Denver tomorrow? And while I'm complaining, I do wish you would continue writing these books and making me laugh out loud for ever and ever.
Posted by: Tilly | January 11, 2011 at 08:52 PM
Tod,
Sorry to hear you are giving these books up. I really enjoy them and have them on pre-order through Amazon as soon as they are available. I've thoroughly enjoyed each book and hope you change your mind. You depict each character from the show perfectly. Thanks for what you've written so far.
Posted by: Dwayne Keller | January 13, 2011 at 05:50 PM
@ #5.
Made my entire day. Srsly. So much win.
Posted by: NineLives | January 13, 2011 at 11:06 PM
I agree with everyone about missing these books. Sometimes I think Tod got the characters down better than the writers of the show themselves.
Posted by: Brenna | January 23, 2011 at 05:12 PM
Great behind the scenes stuff, Tod. And I do not have a problem with Jesse not being in the new book. I hope he's off the show soon, too.
Posted by: Brian Drake | June 22, 2011 at 01:43 PM